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Property expert Ben Quaintrell reacts to calls for ban on no fault evictions

The boss of North East estate agency group My Property Box has said an isolated ban on Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions should not be imposed without wider reforms of the rental system.

Ben Quaintrell said: “Most responsible people in the industry accept the reasoning behind the scrapping of Section 21 no-fault evictions as part of the wider Renters Reform Bill.

“However, this can’t be done in isolation and must go hand in hand with a tightening up of Section 8 evictions following a tenancy agreement breach.”

He made the comment after a group of 30 charities and non-profit organisations urged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to pass a bill to ban “no-fault” evictions – removing the right of landlords in England to evict tenants without reason and with just two months’ notice.

They made the call following the slow progress of the wider Renters Reform Bill which contains a ban on no fault evictions, due to fears it may not have time to pass through Parliament before the next general election.

Ben Quaintrell added: “I understand why charitable organisations are frustrated at the slow progress of the Renters Reform Bill and are now asking for an isolated ban on no-fault evictions, but this would have a knock-on effect if introduced without also introducing fair and balanced improvements to the wider system.

“Currently, landlords who legitimately need to evict a troublesome tenant, whether because of anti-social behaviour, damage, or long-term arrears, face a long and overly complicated process to reclaim their property, one that can take well in excess of six months. This process urgently needs streamlining and simplifying.

“Abolishing no-fault evictions shouldn’t affect too many investor landlords, as they tend to be content with a reliable tenant who abides by the rules. However, it’s a completely different story for ‘accidental landlords’, those who are renting out the family home having moved away for work or who have inherited a property. Without no-fault evictions, this category of landlord will simply be unable to reclaim their property as long as those renting continue to abide by the tenancy agreement.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, said: “The government will deliver a fairer private rented sector for tenants and landlords through the Renters Reform Bill, which will have its second reading in Parliament shortly.

“The bill delivers our manifesto commitment and will abolish Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions to give tenants greater security in their homes.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by News Gathering .